Model-based scenarios of water use in two semi-arid Brazilian states

Sustainability-oriented water management calls for scenarios of future water use. Model-based qualitative-quantitative scenarios combine the development of story lines and the quantification of driving forces with the application of a water use model. In order to support regional planning in two semi-arid Brazilian states suffering from water scarcity, the water use model NoWUM was applied to derive two reference scenarios of municipality-specific sectorial water uses (irrigation, livestock, household, industry and tourism), and to assess the impact of certain interventions. Until 2025, the extension of irrigation accounts for almost 80% of the additional water withdrawals and for an even higher fraction of consumptive use in both scenarios. Domestic and industrial use increases in regions with high immigration, but water use intensities can be controlled by appropriate water pricing. A significant improvement of the developed scenarios is only possible if better data on water use and its driving forces become available. Electronic Publication     

Downscaling nonclimatic drivers for surface water vulnerabilities in the Elbe river basin

Aggregated consideration of both climate and socio-economic change in a coarse spatial resolution is a central feature for scenario development in global change research. Downscaling of the supposed aggregated changes is a necessary prerequisite for the assessments of global change at the regional scale. The present paper describes the method and results of an approach to develop and to apply scenarios of socio-economic change at a sub-national level, which are consistent with global change scenarios. National and regional models of economic and demographic development are used to regionalise drivers of socio-economic change. Scenario results are subsequently applied in order to analyse the impacts of socio-economic and climatic changes on water management issues in the Elbe river basin. Starting from global IPCC-Emissions Scenarios and taking up their key points, we formulate two scenarios for the German and Czech parts of the Elbe catchment areas. We present a system of demographic and economic models, designed to consistently project socio-economic developments at a national and sub-national level and, thus, to quantitatively illustrate our scenarios. The results show that in a scenario that assumes continued globalisation and emphasis on economic growth, export orientation will result in a comparatively high share of manufacturing. Growth spreads from centres to peripheral regions. Still, at the national level, the increase in population and employment will be modest and create little additional pressure, but water stress will be considerably stronger on a regional basis, namely in metropolitan areas such as Prague, Berlin and Hamburg. In a scenario where economic goals are balanced with ecologic and social ones, growth is weaker and the weight of the service sector increases more rapidly, thus easing the driving forces for overall water demand and pollution. However, as in this scenario regional metropolitan centres develop at the cost of peripheral regions, regional development is more selective and the driving forces for potential water stress will diverge spatially.     

Projections of industrial water withdrawal under shared socioeconomic pathways and climate mitigation scenarios

We estimated global future industrial water withdrawal (IWW) by considering socioeconomic driving forces, climate mitigation, and technological improvements, and by using the output of the Asia–Pacific Integrated Model/Computable General Equilibrium (AIM/CGE) model. We carried out this estimation in three steps. First, we developed a sector- and region-specific regression model for IWW. The model utilized and analyzed cross-country panel data using historical statistics of IWW for 10 sectors and 42 countries. Second, we estimated historical IWW by applying a regression model. Third, we projected future IWW from the output of AIM/CGE. For future projections, we considered and included multiple socioeconomic assumptions, namely different shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) with and without climate mitigation policy. In all of the baseline scenarios, IWW was projected to increase throughout the twenty-first century, but growth through the latter half of the century is likely to be modest mainly due to the effects of decreased water use intensity. The projections for global total IWW ranged from 461 to 1,560 km³/year in 2050 and from 196 to 1,463 km³/year in 2100. The effects of climate mitigation on IWW were both negative and positive, depending on the SSPs. We attributed differences among scenarios to the balance between the choices of carbon capture and storage (CCS) and renewable energy. A smaller share of CCS was accompanied by a larger share of non-thermal renewable energy, which requires a smaller amount of water withdrawal per unit of energy production. Renewable energy is, therefore, less water intensive than thermal power with CCS with regard to decarbonizing the power system.     

Scenarios of bioenergy provision: technological developments in a landscape context and their social effects

While it is developing rapidly throughout Germany, bioenergy provision is open to different development opportunities. To understand the cause–effect relationships that drive bioenergy development and explore different development options and their effects on regional development, qualitative scenarios have been drafted using the Görlitz district as an example. The paper introduces the scenario method, with scenarios that are expressed in storylines. Driving forces and their relationships are thereupon reflected. The results show that the relation of the Common Agricultural Policy and Renewable Energy Act is of particular importance for future development in general. For the specific type of development in particular in rural regions, technologies are equally important, as they allow for both strongly central and highly decentralised developments. Due to an increasing diversity of options, the decision between central and decentral developments is, however, less technologically determined, but rather dependent on stakeholders’ decisions. Such stakeholders not only include stakeholders from the production sector, but also include consumers and affected parties, particularly the inhabitants whose living environment is changing rapidly. Both the landscape and society are subject to change. As a major driving force and an impacted system under change itself, social constellations must be taken into account to ensure a sustainable development under the signs of renewable energy expansion. Management tools should consider the interlinkage between landscape, energy, and social systems.     

巢湖流域土地景观格局变化及生态风险驱动力研究

健康的流域生态系统是区域经济社会可持续发展的重要基础。探讨流域土地景观格局变化及生态风险驱动机制有助于生态系统状况诊断与风险来源认识,为有效制定生态风险管控措施提供决策依据。应用空间信息技术平台及计量分析方法,探讨了基于县域行政单元的快速城市化阶段巢湖流域土地景观格局变化及生态风险驱动力。研究表明:(1)2000~2013年,巢湖流域土地景观类型变化表现出农地、林地、水体景观面积下降,建设用地景观面积显著增加的趋势;流域景观水平上多样性和均匀度呈下降、优势度呈上升趋势,景观空间异质性下降;(2)近15 a来,巢湖流域9个行政单元内生态风险均呈上升趋势,生态风险整体恶化,需加强对流域生态风险上升的管控;(3)生态风险驱动力分析表明,快速城市化阶段巢湖流域生态风险的主要驱动因子为第二产业值、城市化率、人口密度和固定资产投资,而人均GDP的增加在一定程度上会降低生态风险水平。     

Assessing coastal vulnerability to climate change: comparing segmentation at global and regional scales

Recent concerns about potential climate-change effects on coastal systems require the application of vulnerability assessment tools in order to define suitable adaptation strategies and improve coastal zone management effectiveness. In fact, while various research efforts were devoted to evaluate coastal vulnerability to climate change on a national to global level, fewer applications were carried out so far to develop more comprehensive and site-specific vulnerability assessments suitable to plan possible adaptation measures at the regional scale. In this respect, specific indicators are needed to address climate-change-related issues for coastal zones and to identify vulnerable areas at the regional level. Two sets of coastal vulnerability indicators were selected, one for regional and one for global studies, respectively, concerning the same features of coastal systems, including topography and slope, geomorphological characteristics, presence and distribution of wetlands and vegetation cover, density of coastal population and number of coastal inhabitants. The proposed set of indicators for the regional scale was chosen taking into account the availability of environmental and territorial data for the whole coastal area of the Veneto region and was based on site-specific datasets characterized by a spatial resolution appropriate for a regional analysis. Moreover, a GIS-based segmentation procedure was applied to divide the coastline into linear segments, homogeneous in terms of vulnerability to climate change and sea-level rise at the regional scale. This approach allowed to divide the Veneto shoreline into 140 segments with an average length of about 1 km, while the global scale approach identified four coastal segments with an average length of about 66 km. The performed comparison indicated how the more detailed approach adopted at the regional scale is essential to understand and manage the complexities of the specific study area. In fact, the 25-m DEM employed at the regional scale provided a more accurate differentiation of the coastal area's elevation and thus of coastal susceptibility to the inundation risks, compared to the 1-km DEM used at the global level. Moreover, at the regional level the use of a 1:20,000 geomorphological map allowed to differentiate the unique landform class detected at the global level (e.g., fluvial plain) in a variety of more detailed coastal typologies (e.g., open coast eroding sandy shores backed by bedrock) characterized by a different sensitivity to climate change and sea-level rise. Accordingly, the information provided by regional indicators can support decision-makers in improving the management of coastal resources by considering the potential impacts of climate change and in the definition of appropriate actions to reduce inundation risks, to avoid the potential loss of valuable wetlands and vegetation and to plan the nourishment of sandy beaches subject to erosion processes.     

Scenario analysis for regional decision-making on sustainable multifunctional land uses

Land-use patterns are influenced by both top-down and bottom-up (local) factors, with their interactions varying in both space and time. This provides a major challenge to decision-making for sustainable multifunctional landscapes. A cross-scale scenario structure has been developed to integrate top-down and bottom-up context based upon the familiar IPCC Special Report on Emission Scenarios framework. Qualitative scenario storylines are converted into multiple quantified simulations of regional land-use change using a series of rules, with information translated across scales using a hierarchical land-use classification. Land-use parcels (fields) are used as key landscape reference units representing the local dimension of regional changes. Biophysical limitations on land use are represented through land capability classes (climate, soils and topography). Socio-economic factors are characterised in reference to global drivers, policy targets or local preferences. A flexible stochastic software tool (LandSFACTS) ensures spatiotemporal coherence of land-use allocation simulations consistent with scenario storylines. Scenario development is designed to be interactive, bridging ‘problem-focussed’ and ‘actor-focussed’ approaches. A case study is presented from NE Scotland, where plans to enhance multifunctionality through new woodland are evaluated against drivers of globalisation and climate change. Competing priorities, such as food security, mean that in some scenarios, a policy objective for woodland expansion to occur on farmland cannot be met. Woodland expansion would then have to occur on uncultivated upland areas. Scenario analysis has highlighted specific sensitivity to change in ‘marginal’ agricultural areas, with the varying influence of different top-down or bottom-up factors leading to divergent potential outcomes.     

Multi-scales Analysis of Driving Forces on Land Use/Cover Change in China: Taking Farmland Returning to Forest or Grassland as a Case

Abstract

Increasing populations are causing an increase in food demands, and the area of cultivated land expands every year. Inappropriate land transition from ecology to production results in the constant decline of the ecological security level and influences the regional sustainable development. Adjusting unreasonable land use mode and reconstructing natural land cover are important ways to maintain and improve the ecological environment. Also reclaiming farmland as areas for forests and grasslands (FRFG) is another way. Successful implementation of FRFG in China is the result of comprehensive effect of the multi-scales driving forces. This paper analyses the driving forces of FRFG in China on a national (country)—regional (province)—local (county)—household (farmer) level scale, and the results are: driving forces at the national scale include ecological and food security and the western development of China; at the regional scale, ecological and economic benefits become the main factors to influence the dimension of FRFG under the same policy. The driving forces can be divided into 6 types: industrial structure adjustment, water source protection, flood prevention, the Three-Gorge Project protection, reduction of the amount of sediment flowing into the Yellow River and wind erosion desertification prevention. The driving forces at the local scale can be divided into 12 types with developing leading industries, increasing farmers' income and improving agricultural production conditions as the main types; at the household scale, the national policy meeting farmers' demands and the optimization of individual interests are all driving forces.     

Trans-jurisdictional River Basin Water Pollution Management and Cooperation in China: Case Study of Jiangsu/Zhejiang Province in Comparative Global Context

The deterioration of water pollution drainage in China is caused by poor administrative capabilities as well as natural forces. Low efficiency, even inefficacy in trans-jurisdictional water pollution management by local governments, has resulted in environmental damage accompanying economic development, conflicts between people living up- and down-stream, and potential hidden problems for social stabilization. By examining the process of policy evolution and reform of water pollution management and cooperation between Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, this paper tries to learn from successful global experiences in domestic trans-boundary water management. The study shows that resolution of the conflict between watershed management and regional management based on “Tiao-Kuai-System” (China's system of vertical and horizontal relations between central and local government and within government) is the highest priority. The integrated reform of trans-jurisdictional water pollution management of river basin in China should include insitutional and law reforms.     

Multi-scales Analysis of Driving Forces on Land Use/Cover Change in China： Taking Farmland Returning to Forest or Grassland as a Case

Increasing populations are causing an increase in food demands, and the area of cultivated land expands every year. Inappropriate land transition from ecology to production results in the constant decline of the ecological security level and influences the regional sustainable development. Adjusting unreasonable land use mode and reconstructing natural land cover are important ways to maintain and improve the ecological environment. Also reclaiming farmland as areas for forests and grasslands （FRFG） is another way. Successful implementation of FRFG in China is the result of comprehensive effect of the multi-scales driving forces. This paper analyses the driving forces of FRFG in China on a national （country） -regional （province） - local （county） - household （farmer） level scale, and the results are： driving forces at the national scale include ecological and food security and the western development of China; at the regional scale, ecological and economic benefits become the main factors to influence the dimension of FRFG under the same policy. The driving forces can be divided into 6 types： industrial structure adjustment, water source protection, flood prevention, the Three-Gorge Project protection, reduction of the amount of sediment flowing into the Yellow River and wind erosion desertification prevention. The driving forces at the local scale can be divided into 12 types with developing leading industries, increasing farmers＇ income and improving agricultural production conditions as the main types; at the household scale, the national policy meeting farmers＇ demands and the optimization of individual interests are all driving forces.     

The Hungarian national climate change strategy: its principles, assignments, and a special case study on maize production

Efficient protection against global climate change requires international emission reduction measures. Before these ones are decided, the individual states should make arrangements within their own scope of authority for preventing and mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change already in progress as a consequence of carbon dioxide emissions done so far. In spring 2008 Hungary—among the very first ones in the international stage—passed a middle-term National Climate Change Strategy, which determines both the national tasks in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and sectoral tasks of the adaptation to the ongoing climate change for the period of 2008–2025. As a concrete case study we investigated the possible impacts of the regional change in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, temperature and precipitation conditions of the Carpathian Basin on the cultivation conditions of maize, based on the downscaled IPCC 2007 scenarios. Temperatures of each scenarios increased significantly to basic run (1961–1990). This change suppressed the positive influence of elevated CO₂ on carbon assimilation. Serious depression may be waited during extreme hot days at Keszthely, Hungary.     

区域农业市场化发展对水土流失的影响--以江西省为例

为了检验区域农业市场化发展对于水土流失的影响,以江西省为例,结合对水土流失驱动力因素的分析,构建了区域水土流失驱动力模型,并据此分析了1988~2000年区域农业市场化发展对水土流失治理的贡献。结果表明,农业市场化程度的提高,有利于提高水土流失治理的效率。1988~2000年,江西省的农业市场化水平提高了15.2％,由此通过农户行为作用,水土流失面积减少61.4471万hm2,相当于2000年水土流失面积的18.36％。因此,区域农业市场化程度每提高1％,水土流失面积将减少40.43万hm2。最后,就区域农业市场化进程中如何进一步推进水土流失治理,提高水土保持效果,提出了相关建议。     

An integrated decision-support process for adaptation planning: climate change as impetus for scenario planning in an agricultural region of Canada

The amount of information required to adapt to climate change is vast: downscaled climate projections, information on environmental impact, sectoral performance, external drivers, regional strategies, policies and practices. It can be argued that most of this information is accessible at the community/regional level, and thus, the important challenges to adaptation are not information gaps, but constraints created by fragmented planning decisions and a sector-by-sector basis for financial and human resource allocations. To strategically address this through adaptation planning, we developed and tested a place-based decision-making framework that creates an integrated platform for considering regional and global sectoral drivers in Eastern Ontario, Canada. Using available socioeconomic and biophysical information from regional authorities, alternative future scenarios were used to describe the range of socioeconomic futures and their vulnerabilities to climate change. We found that: (1) integration of diverse sets of available data (rather than narrowly focused sectoral assessments) helped identify shared common objectives (maximizing the long-term environmental, economic, social well-being within the region), (2) a high degree of congruence existed as the key drivers of change, irrespective of sector, (3) exploring the future scenarios highlighted shared regional priorities and helped identify adaptation priorities requiring more integrated regional planning.     

Risks posed by climate change to the delivery of Water Framework Directive objectives in the UK

The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) is novel because it integrates water quality, water resources, physical habitat and, to some extent, flooding for all surface and groundwaters and takes forward river basin management. However, the WFD does not explicitly mention risks posed by climate change to the achievement of its environmental objectives. This is despite the fact that the time scale for the implementation process and achieving particular objectives extends into the 2020s, when climate models project changes in average temperature and precipitation. This paper begins by reviewing the latest UK climate change scenarios and the wider policy and science context of the WFD. We then examine the potential risks of climate change to key phases of the River Basin Management Process that underpin the WFD (such as characterisation of river basins and their water bodies, risk assessments to identify pressures and impacts, programmes of measures (POMs) options appraisal, monitoring and modelling, policy and management activities). Despite these risks the WFD could link new policy and participative mechanisms (being established for the River Basin Management Plans) to the emerging framework of national and regional climate change adaptation policy. The risks are identified with a view to informing policy opportunities, objective setting, adaptation strategies and the research agenda. Key knowledge gaps have already been identified during the implementation of the WFD, such as the links between hydromorphology and ecosystem status, but the overarching importance of linking climate change to these considerations needs to be highlighted. The next generation of (probabilistic) climate change scenarios will present new opportunities and challenges for risk analysis and policy-making.     

Climate-adapted conservation: how to identify robust strategies for the management of reindeer in Hardangervidda National Park (Norway)

This paper presents an assessment scheme that should help local conservation management in their adaptation to potential effects of climate change. It can be used for the identification of robust adaptation options at site level. The assessment scheme was applied to the management of Europe’s largest population of wild mountain reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) living in the arctic-alpine plateau of Hardangervidda in south-western Norway. At first, the last four decades (1964–2004) were analysed to identify climate- and non-climate-related driving forces affecting the population. In addition, regional projections of climate change were used to build scenarios for the potential effects on these driving forces until 2050. In the second step, the potential effects of climate change were classified according to the risk they pose to the conservation of reindeer in Hardangervidda. Based on this assessment, no-regret strategies for biodiversity management under changing climate conditions could be identified.     

基于粗糙集和BP神经网络的流域水资源脆弱性预测研究——以淮河流域为例

水资源是一种重要的自然资源和经济资源,对其未来的脆弱性进行预测可以预估研究区未来的水安全状况,对其脆弱性问题做出预警,从而及时采取治理措施。因此,合理科学的水资源脆弱性预测研究是缓解水资源脆弱性的有效手段。目前,水资源脆弱性研究主要是针对水资源现状进行评价,对其未来状况的预测较少。集成了粗糙集和BP神经网络两种方法,首先采用改进了的盲目删除法对构建的流域水资源脆弱性评价指标体系进行约简,其次通过BP神经网络拟合约简后的指标数据与脆弱度之间的映射关系,构建流域水资源脆弱性评价预测模型。基于之前研究的样本数据和脆弱性结果,探讨淮河流域未来的水资源脆弱性状况。结果表明:淮河流域2015年、2020年和2025年的水资源脆弱度分别为0.305、0.359和0.390,处于轻度脆弱和中度脆弱的状况,除2015年脆弱性状况有所好转以外,2020年和2025年的水资源脆弱性程度与近几年相比有所加剧,根据指标数据可知该现象主要是受年降水量、人均用水量、万元GDP废水排放量、垦殖指数、有效灌溉面积比和干旱面积受灾比6个指标的影响,为避免水资源脆弱性的加剧,应当有针对性的加强这几个方面的管理和控制。     

武汉城市圈土地利用变化系统仿真模拟与驱动力分析

土地利用变化是全球环境变化与可持续研究的重要内容,驱动力研究是土地利用变化研究中的核心问题。现有土地利用变化驱动力研究多针对单一的城市区域展开,无法解释城市群地区,城市一体化战略指导下城市交互作用对土地利用变化的影响。运用系统动力学(SD)方法,综合考虑经济、人口、城市化、政策等主要人文因素,并将城市交互作用因素引入SD,以武汉城市圈为例,构建土地利用变化系统SD模型,运用1997~2006年的历史数据进行检验,并对武汉城市圈2010~2020年不同情景下的土地利用变化进行模拟。结果表明,建立的SD模型是有效的,两种情景下土地利用变化表现出差异性,说明城市交互作用是除经济、人口城市化等社会经济因素外,土地利用变化的又一重要影响因素。     

Scenario study for a regional low-carbon society

Japan should undertake drastic greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions by the middle of this century in order to mitigate climate change problems. Municipalities should design and execute scenarios toward a low-carbon society suited to their respective regions. This study describes long-term future visions developed for Shiga Prefecture targeting CO₂ emission reductions of 30–50% by 2030, and presents scenarios to attain these targets, which are achievable with mild economic growth. For targets over a 30% reduction, region-specific measures including land-use reform and citizen behavioral changes are necessary. Compared with other regions in Japan, Shiga should give priority to a modal shift in transport, efficiency improvements in industry, and photovoltaic energy generation.     

基于地块尺度的耕地非农化驱动力空间异质性研究——以武汉市为例

土地用途管制和基本农田保护制度下,耕地非农化概率值和其驱动力的空间作用强度分布在土地资源配置和耕地保护方面有积极的指示性。基于武汉市2000~2011年耕地非农化地块的微观数据,通过比较分析Logistic回归模型和地理加权Logistic回归模型参数估计结果,验证了耕地非农化驱动力的空间异质性,并对异质性的空间分布规律和政策涵义做出总结分析。研究表明:1耕地间的空间依赖效应和建设用地对耕地的空间溢出效应在耕地非农化过程中具有显著影响力,且耕地非农化驱动力存在显著的空间异质性;2地理加权Logistic回归模型由于考虑到数据的空间非平稳状态所以比Logistic回归模型有更好的拟合效果;3耕地非农化驱动力的异质性在空间上呈现出一定规律,这些受到产业布局、经济和城市发展特点等的影响,根据不同驱动力空间异质性产生的原因进行差异化土地管理可以解决耕地保护和建设用地供给间的矛盾。研究结果能从地块尺度上反映出耕地非农化驱动因素的空间异质性,实现了驱动因素作用强度空间分布的可视化,并能为国土资源差异化管理提供理论和实践参考。     

基于水足迹的区域生态补偿标准及时空格局研究

水资源是一种公共物品,其效益外部性使得水资源保护与开发利用成本应由相关的若干区域共同承担,因此,建立合理的区域生态补偿标准模型及区域内外共同补偿机制是当前生态经济领域的研究前沿。通过构建水足迹与生态补偿标准模型,对江西省及11地市水足迹与水生态补偿标准进行了估算。主要结果如下:2000~2013年,江西省总生产水足迹呈现先下降后增长的趋势,粮食、水产品、猪肉生产所占比重较大,水盈余呈波动下降趋势。11地市生产水足迹与水足迹效率呈上升趋势,除南昌市出现水赤字要支付生态补偿资金外,其余各市均有水盈余,应获得生态补偿资金。2000~2013年江西省水盈余共需补偿1 805.76亿元,平均每年128.98亿元。赣南的赣州市、赣中的吉安市、赣东北的上饶市、赣东的抚州市获得补偿额较高,将优先获得区域内外生态补偿额度。该研究结果可为生态文明先行示范区与区域生态补偿机制建立提供一定的科学依据。